Track lifter and shifter



D- 1946- H. H. ARMSTRONG 2,392,717

TRACK LIFTER AND SHIFTER Filed Aug. 18, 1944 Patented Jan. 8, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

TRACK LIFTER AND SHIFTER Henry H. Armstrong, Westbrook, Tex. Application August 18, 1944, Serial No. 550,095

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combined track lifter and shifter.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means whereby a track or rail may be bodily lifted and at the same time shifted laterally.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction of this kind which includes a base plate having pivotally mounted thereon a pair of combined track lifting and shifting links which are pivotally secured to a pressure lever, the latter having a roller mounted on the lower end thereof which is adapted to movably engage in a guide or track formed in the base plate.

With the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the operating lever in inoperative position.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l6 designates generally a base which is formed of an elongated flat plate I l. The plate I I has secured to the lower side thereof a depending rightangularly disposed anchoring or anticreeping member [2. The anticreeping member I2 is constructed in the form of an anchor iron having an upper side l3 secured as by welding or other suitable fastening means to the lower side of the plate I I. The plate I I has secured thereto an elongated arm l4 terminating at its outer end in a barrel or bearing l5. A pair of links [6 and I! are rockably carried by the bearing IS, a shaft or bolt l8 extending through the bearing 15 and also through the adjacent ends of the links l6 and I1. The links l6 and I! are disposed in edgewise position and are connected at their opposite ends to an operating lever generally designated as I9.

The operating lever I9 has a bolt or shaft 20 extending through the lower end thereof which also rockably engages through the adjacent ends of the links I6 and H. An angularly disposed arm 2| is formed integral with the lever lil and is provided with a bifurcated end portion indicated by the numerals 22 and 23. A roller 24 is disposed between the bifurcations 22 and 23,

being rotatably mounted on a pin or shaft 25.

The plate II, on the upper side thereof, has fixed thereto a pair of spaced apart parallel roller guides 25 and 21 between which the roller 24 movably engages. A roller sto member 28 is formed integral with the inner end of the arm I4 being disposed in upstanding position as shown in Figure 1 so as to limit the forward movement of the roller 24,

The lever H], at its outer end, is formed with a tubular socket 29 within which a handle or lever extension 30 is adapted to removably engage. In this manner the lever I9 can be lengthened to the desired degree in order to provide the necessary leverage for raising or shifting the track or rail. The lever is may be locked in inoperative position which is the dotted line position in Figure 1, to provide for easy carrying of the device and to accomplish this purpose a chain 3| is provided which has one end thereof secured to an eye 32 carried by the plate II. The plate It also has secured thereto a hook 33 with which a selected link of the chain 3! may be engaged, the chain 3! being extended upwardly over the lever I9 as shown in Figure 3.

In the use and operation of this combined track or rail lifter and shifter, the lever I9 is initially raised to a substantially vertical position to thereby lower the links l6 and I1 to the full line position shown in Figure 1. The links I6 and [1 are then extended beneath the base flange of the rail R as shown in Figure 1, whereupon the lever [9 which may have an extension 30 connected therewith, is rocked downwardly and outwardly away from the rail B. This outward rocking of the lever l9 will raise the links [6 and I1, and these links will then raise the rail R, to the dotted line position indicated by B. As pressure is applied by the lever l9 rocking downwardly and outwardly, the base anchoring member l2 will dig into the ground or road bed so as to thereby prevent lateral shifting of the base H during the raising and shifting of the rail or track. When the links it and I! are in their uppermost or elevated position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the rail may be moved laterally to the left, sliding downwardly along the upper edges of the links ll. It will, of course, be understood that the raising of the rail R to the uppermost positions of the links l6 and I! will, in itself, shift the rail laterally or to the left, and if further the lever I 9 is rocked downwardly and outwardly,

roller 24 will move forwardly in the space between the guides 26 and 21 and due to the ofiset position of the roller pin25 with respect to the shaft 1 20 when thelever I9 is in a lower horizontal position with the lengths l6 and I! raised, the roller 24 will abut the stop 28 and the weight of the rail or track will hold the lever IS in its lower horizontal position. 7

What is claimed'is:

A combined track lifter and shifter comprising a flat base member, a pair of links, means extending from one end of said base pivotally securing one end of said links to said base, an operating lever pivotally secured between the opposite ends of said links, an obtusely disposed extension carried by said lever, a roller rotatably carried by said extension and engageable with the upper side of said base, said roller and extension cooperating upon downward rocking of said lever to raise the inner ends of said links and thereby lift 7 and simultaneously shift a track engaged on the upper edges of said links, a pair of spaced apart parallel strips fixed to the upper side of said base member on opposite sides of said roller, and forming a guideway for said roller, an upstanding stop between said strips, and an angle member fixed to the lower side of said base transversely thereof and having one side extendingdownwardly to form an anchor.

HENRY H. ARMSTRONG. 

